July 8th, 2021

Securities.io Interview Series: Anndy Lian, Inter-Government Blockchain advisor & Author

Anndy Lian provides advisory across a variety of industries for local, international, publicly listed companies and governments. He is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur, book author, investor, board member and keynote speaker.

Currently, he is appointed as the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group where he looks after the governance and compliance aspects of the business. He is also the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization.

Anndy is also part of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Blockchain Special Committee, Government of Republic Korea, together with industry experts such as Brock Pierce (Chairman, Bitcoin Foundation) and Alexis Sirkia (Founder of Yellow.com), helping the province to grow using blockchain technologies.

He is the Chairman (Singapore) for Korea eSports Industry Association (KeIA) where he is actively promoting eSports to go mainstream and adopt cryptocurrencies.

When did you initially become interested in blockchain and cryptocurrency?

My interest was in cryptocurrency first and the interest grew tremendously after reading Satoshi Nakamoto’s whitepaper titled Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System back in 2010. We were only using bitcoin as a form of a credit to exchange items online. Maybe for music download, gaming accounts etc.

As for blockchain, it was 2016. As an investor in the health and medical industry, I was invited to a close door discussion with the medical professions and a pharmaceutical company. That was the first time I know how important blockchain is. It helps to fight fake medicines and health products. It can enhance the current search and tracking model if adopted well. My interest for both grew since that point of time.

You’ve spoken to many regulators, what are some of the biggest questions or concerns that they have with DeFi and cryptocurrency?

Their biggest concern for regulators is how to balance innovation and unregulated financial activities. I dare to say all regulators are into blockchain and agree that it can do wonders.

As for unregulated activities like ICOs for instance in 2017, they are concerned that token buyers are scammed and bought into financial products that they do not know much about. This has downstream issues and may lead to more bankruptcies and social unrest. When such issues occur, who will clean up the mess? Binance? Huobi? Gemini? Coinbase? The answer is no. Governments got to step in to help their citizens.

What are some of the biggest industry challenges that you see in DeFi?

Violations of KYC/ AML: Not knowing who is who and where the money is flowing from is one of the main problems for DeFi right now. When such trades occur between unknown parties and if these parties violate any of the regulations, the consequences can be very damaging. Nevertheless, it has improved a lot from the older days.

Liquidity issues: This is still a problem although we see PancakeSwap is doing very well with their volume. There is still clear competition between CEX and DEX. There is also competition between chains on pricing too. When you see the competitions, the liquidity flows is very obvious, some totally withdraw themselves from Chain 1 to Chain 2 because Chain 2 is new and they can get more out of it.

DeFi is very complex to use: The UI and UX have increased a lot. It is still an uphill task for many to follow. Do you know how to activate the expert mode? Why I cannot sell my coins away? Where are my coins? Slippage? Many who read this article will find these problems have happened to them before and newer problems appear day to day too.

What are some cryptocurrencies that currently have piqued your interest?

Bitcoin and the original main cryptocurrencies are still of my interest, although some of them are not doing much for the last 2 years. New cryptocurrencies with innovative tokenomics like Safemoon for example piqued my interest in the recent months. A few other NFT and MEME projects have also gain my attention too.

What’s the most important attribute that you consider when reviewing new cryptocurrencies?

Concept, Marketing, Community, Technology and Business.

These are the 5 things I look at when reviewing new cryptocurrencies. The project must have a good concept and has to solve some issues. With good marketing, it can draw in support from the community at large. Technology will help them with their use cases. Last but not least, it has to have be able to gain revenue.

“Always remember, all hype but no business = failed project.”

You’ve spoken a lot in the past about NFTs, what are your current views on the space?

The NFT space is getting exciting. Recently Twitter has also joined the bandwagon, giving away 140 Ethereum NFT on Rarible. I can see more artists, movie stars, sportsmen, luxury brands, politicians knowing more about crypto because of NFTs.

The flip side is there are not enough users to buy the overwhelming creation on many platforms. Many of the demands you see may not be the real demand. In the next year, we will see the creative folks dropping out and only the toughest can survive.

Nevertheless, this space will grow faster and has not reached its fullest potential yet.

You’re currently the Chairman (Singapore) for the Korea eSports Industry Association (KeIA) where you are actively promoting eSports to go mainstream and adopt cryptocurrencies. How has the gaming community in South Korea reacted to mixing eSports with crypto?

South Korea is both strong in cryptocurrency and esports gaming. I cannot speak for all gamers in South Korea. All I can say that they are the fastest-growing country when it comes to esports + crypto.

More semi-professionals became full-time professionals thanks to the COVID19 situation and also cryptocurrency. The gamers are rewarded with cryptocurrencies instantly after the game. This becomes a revenue stream for them to continue their lives despite lockdown. Win-win situation.

You believe that the blockchain industry needs to be “redecentralised”, could you elaborate on these views?

I started advising governments earlier than most of my peers. Most of my peers think in order for crypto to grow we need to go fully decentralised. No governments, no banks. Of course, they think I am crazy too.

My stand is if we want to grow we need to redefine the word decentralise. If we can “redecentralise” things properly, we can gain acceptance faster. This has aged well with times 🙂

Is there anything else that you would like to share regarding the industry or what’s currently on your mind?

I think all coins must co-exist.

This space must mature with time and not work on groundless price pumps, washed trading or out of this world FUDs.

Let’s work together in the right manner.

Thank you for the great interview, readers who wish to learn more about Anndy and his views should visit the Anndy Lian website.

Original Source: https://www.securities.io/anndy-lian-inter-government-blockchain-advisor-author-interview-series/

Anndy Lian

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

www.anndy.com

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October 15th, 2020

Featured on Startup India Magazine: Keynote Speech by Anndy Lian: “Navigating Blockchain & Cryptocurrency in the Public Sector”

Thanks, Startup India Magazine Team for featuring my keynote speech on “Navigating Blockchain & Cryptocurrency in the Public Sector”.

Keynote Speech by Anndy Lian: “Navigating Blockchain & Cryptocurrency in the Public Sector”

Anndy Lian, Advisory Board Member of Hyundai DAC Technology gives a keynote speech at the Digital Week Online on the topic “Navigating blockchain & cryptocurrency in the public sector”. Digital Week Online is an online Summit held from 12-16th October 2020. This event unites tech entrepreneurs, authors, investors, innovators, leading corporates, and key governments

At his keynote speech, Anndy shares his experiences on how to deal with the different governments while introducing blockchain and cryptocurrency in the most effective manner. He started by giving a quick overview. Stating that the blockchain technology is possibly one of the finest piece of art when it comes to this century. In simple words, this technology is a decentralized ledger and it is immutable, with core functions like traceability and tracking. It is and will be widely used in finance, manufacturing, supply chain and governments. But it has not welcomed by all especially when it comes to cryptocurrencies, in fact, cryptocurrencies have been denounced by several governments due to a number of reasons. For example, Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency, has been banned in some countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, among others. Many other countries have in the past made it clear that they will not accept Bitcoin but will accept blockchain technology.

“This is a good start for governments. For those who are currently dealing with governments or intend to participate in a public sector bid, please bear in mind that you need to address what is lacking and what can blockchain help them solve and not pure fluff.” Anndy Lian explained.

Anndy emphasises that governments are open to the technology so far based on his experiences on the ground when dealing with them. He goes on saying that food security, ID management and controlling the flow of money are some of the “hot” topics. Countries like Singapore, Estonia, South Korea are already embarking their journey to solve problems using blockchain technology together with their existing infrastructures.

Navigating through the public sectors needs time and determination. Businesses must be ready before speaking to the government to sell their products and solutions. They need to build themselves up properly by building up trust and increase credibility through partnerships and with sufficient marketing. Your brand has to gain some traction before approaching them for any form of business. Anndy went on by highlighting that all these are only made possible if the solution providers are backed by real, solid technology that is robust enough to tackle their demand. He has also noted that many of the startup blockchain companies depended on advisors and consultants to make their sales and introduction. He cautioned again that companies must choose wisely and not deceived by their smooth talks as many of them do not have any real experience in the tech field and have not gotten deep in the blockchain space.

Last but not least, he told all to be “Pragmatic”. Only being real and practical will open up new paths for you.

Anndy Lian’s is known for his advisory work for governments. He plays a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region. He advises the Secretariat on the latest concepts and applications of blockchain technologies in cybersecurity and IoT network data integrity across smart factories and upskills the Secretariat staff in blockchain technologies as applicable to productivity. APO members include Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

He is also part of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Blockchain Special Committee, Government of Republic Korea, together with industry experts such as Brock Pierce (Chairman, Bitcoin Foundation) and Alexis Sirkia (Founder of Yellow.com), helping the province to grow using blockchain technologies.

To know more about what Anndy Lian is doing, you can visit www.anndy.com or on his social media channels, https://twitter.com/anndylian and https://www.linkedin.com/in/anndylian/. You can also view his keynote speech at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47tBlAbSAro.

Media Contacts:

Name: Jenny Zheng

Title: Editor

Company: BLOCKCAST.CC

Email: contact@blockcast.cc

Website: www.blockcast.cc

Citiesabc Interviews Anndy Lian, Author, Blockchain Thought Leader On Bridging Blockchain Between Business & Governments

Anndy Lian is an Inter-Governmental Blockchain Adviser, Book Author, Investor and Board Member.

Anndy Lian is a global thought leader and an all-rounded business strategist with more than 15 years of experience in Asia. He has provided advisory across a variety of industries for local, international & public listed companies. Anndy played a pivotal role in not-for-profit and quasi-government linked organizations. An avid supporter for incubating start-ups, Anndy has investments in a few health-related companies. He believes that what he is doing through Linfinity and blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses.

Anndy Lian Interview focus

1. An introduction from you: education, professional background
2. Asia is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. You have been working in Singapore and South Korea, which are at the forefront of technological development. How do you see this dynamic in the region and especially in these two countries?
3. There is no doubt that governments and organizations need to better understand blockchain and your company is keen to make that vision a reality. Can you tell us more about Linfinity and its mission?
4. Blockchain is one of the fundamental technologies of the 4IR with a lot of potential but we are still in the theoretical stage. Many countries are lagging behind in R&D and there is a lack of awareness about blockchain. Working with governments and businesses, can you share with us your thoughts on what is the general approach to blockchain?
5. You have written ‘Blockchain Revolution 2030’ and very active as a blockchain writer. Can you tell us about your work as an author and how you see blockchain intertwined with traditional industries?
6. Blockchain technology combined with AI is a powerful setup that can create really innovative and interesting solutions for many of our current challenges, such as leveraging trust in technology, digital identity, etc. At the same time, it also raises some concerns in some sectors. including governments and users. How do you see this?
7. Cryptocurrencies are becoming more and more mainstream. Countries are developing CBDCs, there are thousands of different digital currencies, companies use them to raise money through ICOs and, more recently, STOs… How do you see the cryptocurrency industry right now, especially the evolution from ICOs to STOs?
8. From your experience working with governments, advising companies and your knowledge about blockchain and emerging technologies, what would be your advise to governments and companies and what do you expect about the future of blockchain?

Anndy Lian Key Takeaways

· About Anndy Lian’s background and education. I am originally from Singapore but I have spent a great part of my life in working and living in various cities across Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and, especially, Seoul in South Korea. I started my journey in blockchain a few years ago. I joined the government area of blockchain research because of the rising scams and frauds that there were in the blockchain space so I became an advisor to the government. This role and expertise provided me an invaluable insight into the blockchain technology and in management. I was appointed recently to the Hyundai DAC blockchain research branch as an advisor. I am also an investor in different startups and companies building solutions through blockchain technology.

· About working in Asia and the economic development in Singapore, South Korea regarding blockchain. I always wanted to learn more and become an expert in something that would harness the power to change the future and blockchain came about just in the right time so I made myself go out of my comfort zone in Singapore and travel to places where blockchain was trending. When I started in blockchain, I saw a lot of fraud and scams in the blockchain space and I thought it was damaging the technology and its future. I first started as an advisor in the private sector but I soon saw that the only way blockchain can really become widespread is if governments accept it. So that is what drove me to work hand-in-hand with and to advise governments.

· On the governments’ stance on blockchain and Linfinity’s role. Linfinity started in 2017. One thing to note is that even though we are a blockchain-focused company, we never did an ICO or anything like that, not even in the hectic 2018 ICO year where it seemed like it would be the easiest option to get funding. We struggled a bit in the beginning but we didn’t want to do anything that would eventually harm the company.

We have worked with different countries advising them about how to implement functional blockchain platforms and, especially, blockchain technology in supply chain systems. What I learned during that time is that working for governments is much more important than working for the private sector as we can really help a whole country to step up and improve their systems. It is very satisfying to do it. That is ultimately our goal with Linfinity, we want to help the adoption and widespread literacy about blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

· About blockchain adoption and government approach. From a country standpoint, they are talking about the implementation of blockchain solutions in the near future. COVID-19 is actually speeding up research and accelerating the implementation of blockchain-based solutions and that’s really good news, there are positive vibes around the possibilities. I feel like one of my responsibilities is to push the agenda of these countries further and help other countries that are not as receptive to blockchain and change my mind regarding this technology. Fortunately, most of the countries are starting to understand blockchain without cryptocurrencies, as a standalone technology. In fact, if you talk about cryptocurrencies, governments are reluctant to discuss them further due to regulatory hurdles and legacy systems that dominate the financial industry.

Not all countries have the same approach to blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Singapore and South Asia countries, for example, are really keen to research and are more open to implementing blockchain and cryptocurrencies solutions.

· About ‘Blockchain Revolution 2030’ book and your work as an author. Governments, companies and organizations want to be more efficient and there are politicians, which are important for blockchain, that believes that blockchain can do a lot to make legacy systems more efficient, transparent and secured.

Typically, whenever a technology comes up, governments eventually pick up and explore how that technology works and what that technology can do for them and its potentiality. And they have taken that approach with blockchain. I have been approached by governments with these very questions about blockchain. Normally, governments try to see these solutions in place and invite businesses to try them out. The Filipinas example is quite interesting. We were asked by the Filipino government how to implement a blockchain solution to make the export supply chain more efficient as they were losing revenue. We proposed a solution and many businesses from Filipinas step up, attracted by the idea. And I think this is a success story.

· Blockchain technology and AI: Challenges and opportunities. Based on what I see, AI is really going to help our daily lives. There is an ongoing smart city project in which they use AI to improve their citizens’ lives greatly. In fact, AI is the core technology behind the project. I had the chance to talk to the people in charge of the project and I was asking questions about cybersecurity and the right way to implement AI. I was also dropping the benefits of using blockchain in that project because it can actually boost AI with an extra layer of cybersecurity and trust.

One thing I have learned is that blockchain can only do so much, it is the collaboration and combination of different technologies that will change the world.

· How do you see the cryptocurrency industry right now, especially the evolution from ICOs to STOs? I believe that South Korea is a strategic country between Japan, China and the gateway to South Asia. That’s why I think cryptocurrencies took hold there. Today, the main use of cryptocurrencies is trading. There are hundreds of crypto exchanges and there are many traders who make money from cryptocurrencies, speculate on its price and use it as a trading product and I think this will stick with us for the long term. However, I don’t see cryptocurrencies just for their trading capabilities. The regulations will have a major impact on cryptocurrencies, making them a more mature market and helping the industry attract investors and more users. Tokenization is, in fact, much more than trading cryptocurrencies. Companies are already exploring the idea of tokenizing their assets and using tokens to reward employees, investors, and consumers. In short, the cryptocurrency industry will look like a commercial product for a while, but as governments start to take a closer look at it and pass regulations, it will help make the market more mature.

Anndy Lian Biography

Anndy Lian is an Inter-Governmental Blockchain Adviser, Book Author, Investor, Board Member

Anndy Lian is currently the founder and CEO of Linfinity, a company that manages the total supply chain using Blockchain Technology. We establish such a platform with reliable data, transparent information, efficient cooperation and interconnected network to cope with the practical business pain points and development demand of corporate users.

In parallel, Anndy Lian currently serves as the Advisory Board Member for Hdac (Hyundai DAC) Technology, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian advises the company on the token economy and governance matters.

He is also the author, together with co-authors, Park Young Sook and Shawn Hamnison and published by Kyobo Book Centre, the largest bookstore chain in South Korea, of Blockchain Revolution 2030. Blockchain Revolution 2030 is a comprehensive review of the birth, principles, industrial and institutional issues, status and future of the “blockchain” that will become the foundation technology of the 4th industrial revolution.

Anndy Lian has also been advisory to China-ASEAN Business Alliance (CABA), engaging with government leaders and policymakers of various countries through roundtables and policy briefings and offer views and recommendations on behalf of its members on trade and economic issues/policies affecting them especially on the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area as well as other schemes under the ASEAN-China dialogue relations and ASEAN Economic Community.

Prior to that, he was the Council Head, South East Asia at Korea Horse Industry Council, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea. This department’s aim was to presentee the right policy directions and alternatives for nurturing and supporting the horse industry. It was established on November 28, 2011, to promote the balanced development of the economy and enhance the quality of life of the people by establishing the development base of the horse industry and strengthening its competitiveness.